The invention concerns a drive unit for a tracked vehicle according to the pre-characterizing portion of the principle claim.
In tracked vehicles, especially ones used for military purposes, the drive unit is required to be extremely reliable. Even if the vehicle is partially damaged, it must be guaranteed that the vehicle can be moved out of a danger zone without outside help.
In electrically driven tracked vehicles emergency operation can be maintained because the aggregates on either side can be coupled to one another. EP 0 924 132 A2, which is considered to be the closest prior art, describes a drive unit for a tracked vehicle that consists of two drive units arranged on either side of the vehicle body. Each drive unit has a drive motor, which drives an electric generator. The drive tracks can be driven by associated electric motors.
DE 195 37 945 A1 shows a drive unit for a tracked vehicle, in which the power is divided among 4 motors.
The purpose of the invention is to provide a drive unit for a tracked vehicle, which ensures greater reliability and operating security even when the vehicle is partially damaged. In addition, standard components and aggregates of suitable structural volume should be able to be used.
This objective is achieved by a drive unit for tracked vehicles, which also embodies the features of the characterizing portion of the principle claim.
According to the invention, a first and a second right-hand electric drive motor are associated with the right-hand drive track and a first and a second left-hand electric drive motor are associated with the left-hand drive track. The two first drive motors are fed by a first generator and the two second drive motors are fed by a second generator.
The result is that if any component of the drive unit is out of action, the tracked vehicle can still be driven and steered. For example, if the first internal combustion engine or the first generator is out of action, the second combustion engine and the second generator, and the second left-hand and second right-hand drive motors are still there to drive the two drive tracks. If one or both first drive motors or one or both second drive motors fail, there is still a drive motor available to drive each drive track.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, each drive track is associated with a summation unit by means of which the drive power respectively of a first and a second electric drive motor is coupled to a track drive wheel. Compared with an arrangement in which each drive track is respectively driven by a front and a rear track drive wheel, this has the advantage that stresses in the drive track are avoided.
If the generators and electric drive motors are alternating-current machines, the energy paths can advantageously be wired as follows: the output of the first generator is connected electrically to the input of a first rectifier. The output of the second generator is electrically connected to the input of a second rectifier. The output of the first rectifier is simultaneously connected electrically to the input of a first left-hand and a first right-hand DC/AC converter. The output of the second rectifier is simultaneously connected electrically to the input of a second left-hand and a second right-hand DC/AC converter. The output of each DC/AC converter is connected electrically to the input of an associated drive motor.